Core i7-9700KF vs Ryzen 5 4600HS

Intel

Core i7-9700KF

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2019
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Ryzen 5 4600HS

6 Cores12 Thrd35 WWMax: 4 GHz2020
Ryzen family
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Core i7-9700KF vs Ryzen 5 4600HS Performance Spectrum

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Core i7-9700KF vs Ryzen 5 4600HS FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i7-9700KF vs Ryzen 5 4600HS: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i7-9700KF

2019

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +45.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • +50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
  • 100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (14,250 vs 14,349).
  • Launch MSRP is still $374 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 4600HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • 171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Ryzen 5 4600HS

2020

Why buy it

  • +0.7% higher PassMark.
  • Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700KF across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 4600HS better than Core i7-9700KF?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-9700KF is ahead with a 45.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4600HS pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark. Core i7-9700KF also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4600HS is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Ryzen 5 4600HS is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i7-9700KF is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Ryzen 5 4600HS comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $374 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.7% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i7-9700KF is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 45.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700KF is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (38.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Ryzen 5 4600HS makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/8. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i7-9700KF vs Ryzen 5 4600HS Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Intel

Core i7-9700KF

The Core i7-9700KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 14,250 points. Launch price was $374.

AMD

Ryzen 5 4600HS

The Ryzen 5 4600HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-HS (Zen 2) (2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-4266. Passmark benchmark score: 14,349 points. Launch price was $149.

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700KF packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 4600HS offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-9700KF has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700KF versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 4600HS — a 20.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700KF (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i7-9700KF uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 4600HS uses Renoir-HS (Zen 2) (2020) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700KF scores 14,250 against the Ryzen 5 4600HS's 14,349 — a 0.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 4600HS. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700KF vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 4600HS.

FeatureCore i7-9700KFRyzen 5 4600HS
Cores / Threads
8 / 8+33%
6 / 12
Boost Clock
4.9 GHz+23%
4 GHz
Base Clock
3.6 GHz+20%
3 GHz
L3 Cache
12 MB (total)+50%
8 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
512 kB (per core)+100%
Process
14 nm
7 nm-50%
Architecture
Coffee Lake (2017−2019)
Renoir-HS (Zen 2) (2020)
PassMark
14,250
14,349
Geekbench 6 Single
1,659
Geekbench 6 Multi
7,072
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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700KF uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 4600HS uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i7-9700KFRyzen 5 4600HS
Socket
LGA1151
FP6
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
No
PCIe Lanes
16
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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700KF) / not specified (Ryzen 5 4600HS).

FeatureCore i7-9700KFRyzen 5 4600HS
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d